Test drove a new Silverado...

I am considering buying a full size truck, so I have driven the Tundra and the new Silverado.

I wanted to take the Silverado to my house to see how it would go down my steep driveway and park it in the rear of the house under my carport.

On the way over to the house the salesman is telling me how great the limited slip rear end is on the Silverado and how it the only one that will automatically lock the rear wheels.

So, we get to the house and start down my driveway which is wet and covered with leaves. I stopped halfway down the driveway and put it in reverse and started to back up. The wheels did lock but could not get up the driveway. It just wanted to slid to the side. The salesman blamed it on the Goodyear tires.

Both my Tacoma and the Tundra back out with hardly any wheel spin.

I don't need 4WD so a good limited slip rear end it important to me and the Toyota's is the best I have driven. I had a Dakota before the Tacoma and the Tacoma is better than it too.

 

There you are, the proof is in the puddin' ... or the drivin' in this case.

 

The new silverado is a nice truck , I like the gmc even better . Is it just me or is the pricing trough the roof ?

I looked online and couldn't belive how much they go for .

 

I have to wonder what was going through the salesman's mind as you stopped halfway down? I'm guessing something like "oh shit ..."

Well phrased and I agree.

 

Haven't driven them but based on looks the Chevy looks like hell and the GMC looks sick! I've always liked the looks of the GMC's better.

 

GMC is the dressed up Chevy ... but I agree the front trim/grills on the GMC have almost always looked better. IMHO

 

I'm somewhat in the same boat. I drove a Ford F-150 FX4 yesterday in snow. Lets just say I was happy that I was driving the Taco home. Something magical about Toyota and their traction. the Taco is number 2 or 3 on my all time traction list. Jeep Cherokee I-6 4.0, then the FJC and the Taco. I've owned Wranglers (93, 99, 02), Cherokee, Tahoe, Suburban, 4-runner, Landcruiser ('84 and '00), Ram 1500, Chevy 1500, Expedition, FJC (BADASS) and Taco.

Yesterday was nasty here and the Taco has amazing traction. Could be tire combo too though but they're stock TRD road tires.

 

Agreed.

 

If you don’t mind going back to the dealer for warranty repairsand factory recalls then buy the Chevy. Ifyou don’t have time for that nonsense and just want a great truck that you canrely on for many years then buy the Tundra.

 

agreed...that's why Toyota

 

I had an F350 and I was scared to death to drive it in the snow. My wife has a Subaru Outback I would rather drive in the snow. That car will go any where. I will see this year how my Tacoma does. It will be the first year I will be driving a Tacoma in the snow. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Been reading the posts about test driving other makes and models of pickups. Thanks for the input to all who have posted.

I'm so pleased with my 2009 extended cab Tacoma I'm considering a newer model. I like the drive, I like the size of the bed, I like the mods shown here on the forum and I am glad I chose Toyota. But the postings only make me realize I have the truck that meets my needs.

 

He was reaching for excuses.... To blame anything but the truck, plain and simple.

I would've asked for a set of 'better' tires, then you'd buy the truck. I wonder what his reaction would be then.

 

I've also been looking at full size trucks. Crew cab 4x4.


-new Chevy/GMC looks great exterior...interior (dash) is awful IMO.
-new Tundra I like both exterior and exterior.
-F150 is also nice, especially in the more expensive trim ( FX4 or King Ranch)
-Dodge Ram I'm surprised to say is also very nice inside & out. (again, especially in the higher level trims)


I have to drive the Tundra yet. The GM is probably out. The Ford & Dodge I have driven, like both.


It's gonna come down to features. I really, really like the "Ram Box" side boxes on the Dodge. they are huge, lock with keyless and have lights and drains and weather-strip.


I also really like the Ford rear seats and flat floor once folded up.


Ram appears to offer the largest available list of ala-cart options...and most variety of models, and if you are going heavy duty/diesel, the Cummings looks like the winner there.


another note...you can get bucket seats and center console in the Tundra in SR5 trim. the domestics require a higher level of trim to have the buckets/console feature.


truth is...and I've been looking hard (I also have owned dozens of pickups over the past 35+ YEARS)...in a perfect world, I'd have a combo of features from several trucks.

looks like unless I'm willing to spend 60 grand on a pickup, there will be compromise

 

Sorry, haven't really looked....60k? Good God.

 

I had an 07 Silverado extended cab 2wd. That truck was nothing but problems and cost me nothing but time and $$$$$. Alternator went out, tail lights went out several times, squeaky doors, etc.

I sold it after five years and bought a Ford Transit Connect (Made in Turkey) to use as a work van for my business. I waited almolst two years and bought the Tacoma to have as an extra vehicle for personal use. I am pretty content now.

 

Funny how much they go for considering how much of your tax dollars went into that crappy company. Alas, I guess they have a lot of union workers to overpay

 

I like the look of the new Silverado and have been seriously looking at a fully loaded crew cab LTZ Z71, but I just can't get past the suspect reliability, spotty reputation and crap resale of GM. I came from a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer before my Tacoma and it had terrible fit and finish which is why I got rid of it 18 months later (headliner continually came off, front bumper had a wave on it, glue seeping out of the rear hatch seal) I'd like to believe GM has made significant improvements in all those said areas, but I don't want to make a $50K gamble to find out. If Toyota only improved the efficiency of the Tundra, I would of made the jump already.

 

The stickers are high to accommodate the future discounts and rebates. Works the same as shopping at Kohls. Every time I check out they tell me how many hundreds of dollars I saved with their discounts. All marketing crap. What idiot would pay full price for any GM truck?

 

I read that GM currently makes the most profit of any vehicle manufacturer. I've been talking to my local Chevy dealer and he said GM is going with a new strategy in that they won't be throwing huge discounts through the model year in hopes that it will help boost resale value. In fact GM just raised the price of both the Silverado and Sierra back in October by $2500 off set by a $2500 rebate. If you look at the sales numbers for such a new truck, both the Chevy and GMC the sales of each haven,t really took off. Ford still way outsold both combined, but GM isn't cranking out production either. GM is taking the Toyota approach in building these trucks...limiting availability to keep prices ideal.